Derek (also known as Paxman Diesel, The Paxman or simply Paxman) is a green diesel engine who is known for his initial "teething" troubles and works for the Sodor China Clay Company.

Biography

The Fat Controller realised Bill and Ben needed help with their work and sent for Derek, but Derek's cooling system overheated and breaks down on Gordon's Hill and BoCo had to come to the rescue. The news of the rescue went through the North Western Railway's rumour mill in due course until a confused Percy informed Bill and Ben that Derek had a toothache. Bill and Ben were apprehensive of Derek as a result but forgot their fear when Derek's cooling system overheated and breaks down yet again and they had to help him home. Derek was then sent to the Works to be mended.

According to the Official Website, Derek now spends most of his time at the quarries and clay mines near Brendam Docks working with Bill and Ben. The Thomas and Friends Writers' Bible, meanwhile, claims Derek normally works around yards or stations.

Personality

Derek is a jolly, enthusiastic diesel engine, keen on making an impression, who was brought in to assist Bill, Ben and BoCo at the China Clay quarry. Unfortunately, due to his engine, he is highly prone to teething troubles, namely overheating and suffering frequent breakdowns, for which he is apologetic for the inconvenience. As a result, he spends many a day having his engine tended to, which is unfortunate since he really wants to work hard. However, Derek is a likeable chap and even Bill and Ben decided that they liked him due to his friendly nature. Derek has an infectious charisma, is keen to help anyone around him and has a passion for sorting things out in a jiffy - if his cooling system lets him.

Technical Details

Basis

Derek is based on a British Rail (BR) Class 17, also known as the Clayton Type 1. 117 members of this class were built between 1962 and 1965 by the Clayton Equipment Company of Derbyshire, England. Derek's problems were undoubtedly inspired by those of his basis, as the Paxman engines fitted to most of the real Class 17s were prone to a series of many mechanical issues.^[6] Because of these, all Class 17s were withdrawn by the end of 1971, after less than 10 years of service. One Class 17, D8568, is preserved at the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway in South Oxfordshire, England.^[7]

Livery

Derek is painted in the BR Deep Bronze green livery with yellow warning panels on his front and back ends. His window frames are painted white and he has the BR Ferret and Dartboard crest on his sides.

Appearances

Official Description

Audio Files

Theme

First used	Last used	Composers	Theme
Series 5	Series 6	Mike O'Donnell Junior Campbell

Derek's theme is reused in the sixth series for Mavis, but at a slighter faster pace. This theme is also used in the seventh series in the same faster pace, but in a higher pitch for her. This is because Derek's theme is an arrangement of Mavis' theme from the third series.

Only used	Composers	Theme
Series 7	Mike O'Donnell Junior Campbell

Horn

Only used	Sound Effect
Series 5

Trivia

• Derek is called "Derick" in Japan.
• Derek was the first non-Awdry standard gauge engine to be introduced into the television series.
• Within the production team and in some early pieces of promotional material such as the Official Website, Derek's name was Paxman. This was changed on merchandising due to fear it would offend the manufacturers of the Paxman brand of diesels, or be a possible reference to celebrity Jeremy Paxman.
• In the magazine story, Platform Picture, Class 40 is incorrectly referred to as "Derek the Diesel".
• The BR crest on Derek's ERTL toy reads "Thomas Tank" instead of "British Railways".
• In his Wooden Railway prototype, Derek is seen with a greyish engine, unlike the black one presented in his final toy. His 2007 reissue sports the correct yellow engine.
• Derek's ERTL prototype shows him with a darker and different face and a darker colour scheme. His second ERTL promotional artwork incorrectly depicts him with steam engine type wheels, a darker colour scheme, a grey undercarriage, square buffers and with no red buffer beam.
• Derek's original character bio on The Official Website suggests that he was specifically based on D8500, the first BR Class 17 built.^[8] Furthermore, his original ERTL character card mentions D8568, the only class member to survive preservation.^[9]
• According to David Maidment, Derek's story was originally derived from the behaviour of BR Class 14 (also known as the D95XX series, nicknamed "Teddy Bears") diesel-hydraulic locomotives. It is unknown if Derek himself was ever meant to be a Class 14, as the only drawings known to have been done of him in that form were done by David Maidment and not Robert Gauld-Galliers.^[10]
• Derek was allegedly written with a non-speaking role in the sixteenth series episode Bust My Buffers!, but this never came to fruition, reportedly because the production crew mistook the name "Paxman" in the script for Paxton.^{[11][12][better source needed]}
• Despite himself not appearing in CGI, Derek is mentioned in a 2019 (May/June) magazine.
• Derek's horn sound was later used for the foghorn and Mavis in the sixth series, Salty from Day of the Diesels to the twenty-fourth series (as well as his horn in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go), Diesel 10 in merchandise and two video games and Diesel in Fun Cubes.
  • The horn sound is a stock truck horn sound effect heard in lots of other media, especially being used for Dunbar in the children’s television series Chuggington.

Quotes

References